Vince Carter credits the Celtics defense and aggressive play for their win over the Heat. 0:50
The Boston Celtics might find motivation in a series that happened a decade ago.
The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the Finals in 2012 with a roster that included three future NBA Most Valuable Players, and all of them were within their first five years in the league.
The assumption was that the first of many Oklahoma City appearances in the NBA's championship round would come after they lost to the Miami Heat in the Finals. They looked like a dynasty in the making.
That dynasty did not happen.
Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets before the next season began, and year after year, a combination of injuries, bad luck and excruciating playoff losses saw the Oklahoma City Thunder fail to return to the Finals before eventually breaking apart.
The lesson? Don't think that another chance is coming.
The kind of moment the Celtics have in front of them can be fleeting. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals will be hosted by them. For the first time in 12 years, the series will be decided by a single game and the winner will return to the Finals.
Boston's Jaylen Brown said after the Game 5 victory that it was a great opportunity. You don't want feelings of regret.
The Celtics have made it to the East finals six times. This is the closest they have been since they found themselves in the same situation a decade ago, after winning Game 5 of the East finals against the Heat to take a 3-2 series lead.
The difference was that the Celtics, with one title and another Finals trip under its belt, were going up against James at his peak. James went on to play the game of his life to deliver a win for Miami before the Heat would secure Game 7 and then beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to win his first championship.
The Celtics were in a similar situation six years later, leading James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 in the series. In the sixth game of the series, James had 46 points, 11 rebound and 9 assists, and in the seventh game, James and Cleveland prevailed, despite a dunk by Boston's Jayson Tatum.
When asked if it feels different to be in this position now than it did four years ago, Tatum smiled and said, "Yeah, it does." We are just older. We have been through some tough times.
In 2020, the Celtics ran up against the Heat and fell in six games.
The Celtics are the clear favorites. While Boston has dealt with its share of injuries, including Robert Williams III's recurring knee issues, Marcus Smart's right leg injuries and Al Horford missing Game 1 of the series due to NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Miami has been decimated by them.
The three best perimeter players for the Heat are either unable to participate or playing with obvious limitations. Even if all of them were healthy, the Celtics' league-leading defense is putting an already suspect Heat half-court offense into a sleeper hold.
If you want to get to the Finals, you have to do some really tough things.
None of this seemed possible four months ago. Boston had a mediocre second season in a row. Thanks to the combination of timely transactions, improved health and coach Ime Udoka, Boston turned into the NBA's best team for the final two-and-a-half months of the regular season.
After years of knocking on the door, the Celtics are finally able to break through.
Udoka said that the team had to come out with the right mentality after a win. We want to close it out at home in Game 6.
His third East finals are his fifth NBA season. It is the fourth for Brown in six seasons and the fourth for Smart in eight. It is a reminder of how hard it is to make it to the final step in the playoffs, and how much experience Boston's young core has together.
The Celtics hope that their experiences will prepare them for the biggest game of their lives Friday, when they will have a chance to punch their ticket back to the Finals.
The Celtics look like a group that could be in position for an extended run of excellence. Seven of Boston's top eight rotation players are between the ages of 23 and 28. Five of them are young.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are playing for a spot in the NBA Finals. You can watch the action on the internet.
Game 6: Celtics at Heat.
Game 7*: Sun., Celtics at Heat (ESPN)
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